


I'll Be the Poison Running Through Your Veins

by EonaMokaa



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Mind Control, So be warned, a fair amount of blood in the third chapter, also not sure how deep I'm going to bury myself into this plot but I guess I'll find out soon huh, and lots of hugs, anyway, eventual glimmadora, give adora a found family 2k19, it'll probably get more graphic in the next chapter so be warned, it's established but glimmer just. isn't in the first chapter, lots of future angst so strap in, man I'm really feeling in the mood for angst lately, probably?, seriously she needs some serious loving, unconventional use of poison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-02 02:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17879522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EonaMokaa/pseuds/EonaMokaa
Summary: Catra shows up to make things very, very bad at Bright Moon. After a fight with Catra, Adora is poisoned - but it's not your typical, run-of-the-mill poison.





	1. Chapter 1

Adora had just made her way down the hallway to Glimmer's room when a loud crash interrupted her routine. The source of the noise wasn't too far; in fact, it had been back in her room, a few doors down, though she wasn't sure why. She hardly ever slept in her room anyway, generally preferring to sleep in her girlfriend's room instead. There was no reason for anyone to be in her room, not even to clean, so _something_ was up. Adora crouched down and, as quickly and quietly as she could, made her way to her bedroom door. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and rested her hand on her sword. With a steady hand, Adora pushed open the door. She certainly was not expecting the figure that sat cross legged on the bed. 

 

"Hey, Adora." A familiar voice purred, and Adora was immediately on the offensive. Her hands shakily pulled out her sword, holding it in front of her. 

 

"What are you doing here?" Adora growled, staring at Catra as she picked at her long nails. Her tail wrapped around her arm, and Catra shrugged. 

 

"I just thought I'd drop in to see how you're doing." Catra smiled, finally looking up to meet Adora's glare. With a flick of her tail, Catra stood, slowly moving closer to her old friend. Adora's hands shook around the hilt of the sword, but she didn't move. "I have a present for you, by the way. For everyone, actually." Catra trailed her nails delicately on Adora's arm, up the shoulder, around the neck. Catra's head dropped to Adora's shoulder, still tracing patterns on her skin. 

 

"Whatever you're planning to do, don't hurt them! They have nothing to do with this." Adora clenched her teeth, a shiver running down her spine. Through the corner of her eye, she tracked Catra as she moved to stand in front of her once more. 

 

"I beg to differ. But today's your lucky day, because," Catra moved in closer again, hand hovering above Adora's sword but not quit touching it. "I'm not going to hurt them. _You_ are." And with a practiced kick, the sword was knocked out of Adora's hands, landing on the other side of the room. Adora tried to block her next kick, but Catra was faster, much faster than the last time she'd seen her, and Adora doubled over in pain. She groaned, holding her side and just barely rolling out of the way of Catra's lunge. She took that moment to run for the sword, but again Catra had jumped at her, successfully tackling her to the ground. "You've gotten soft, Adora. Haven't you learned better than to turn your back to the enemy?" Catra sneered, running her claws with just enough pressure over Adora's back to draw blood. Adora managed to turn over under her hold, but not before she felt something cold run over the new wounds. Whatever it was burned, coming into contact with already irritated skin, and Adora squirmed, trying to get up enough to get it off her back but to no avail. 

 

"What did you do?!" Adora hissed, her back twitching uncontrollably. She was finding it harder to move, like the strength was being drained out of her and something else was trying to take control.

 

"Oh, nothing much. I can demonstrate it for you again since you seem so eager to know." A wicked smile crossed Catra's lips and her claws once again dug in to Adora's skin, one for each cheek. Then, she pulled out a small vial of something deep red, and unscrewed the cork. "You see this? It's a lovely little poison that Entrapta and I made together. Care to know what it does?" Adora didn't answer, she couldn't. All she could do was watch in horror, the fear of losing all her senses hitting her, her body still twitching. " It's a small part of the black garnet mixed with some nanobots that Entrapta made, with a special code that can take over your conscience and body for as long as they stay in you. When this comes into contact with an open wound, your blood will just suck it all up, and those little tiny nanobots will work their way into your body so you can do all the dirty work for us. Handy, wouldn't you say?" Catra leaned in close, grabbing Adora's jaw and pouring the liquid onto her cheeks. Adora's cheeks burned, the same way her back did moments ago, but it felt more... _distant_. She couldn't move, could hardly feel anything, and found it hard to stay awake. Darkness flooded her vision, and the last thing she saw was Catra getting up and sitting back on the bed, no doubt waiting for trouble. 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Adora woke with a start. Her vision was blurry, as if she was looking underwater, and her head pounded. She looked around, couldn't remember why she was on the floor of her room. And then it hit her, right as her eyes fell on Catra, who had taken to messing with her sword; she couldn't move. It felt as if she had been pushed out of her own body, in a sense. She could still see everything, vision slowly clearing up, and she could still make rational thoughts, but that was it. Catra looked up from where she was twisting the sword this way and that, finally noticing that Adora was awake. With a smile, she sauntered over to her, crouching right next to her. 

 

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. Though, I suppose it's not morning anymore." Catra hummed, and ran her fingers through Adora's hair, twirling it and carding through the long locks. "Let's get this party started then, shall we?" A wicked grin etched onto Catra's face, and suddenly Adora was standing, her sword held tight in her hands. Catra leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "You know what to do." Adora didn't understand. She couldn't feel her body, couldn't move, so how was she standing? 

 

"For the honor...of Grayskull!" A deep growl resonated in the room, and Adora's eyes widened, unable to do anything as she transformed into She-Ra. It was her voice. It had to be, it sounded like hers and it activated her powers, but _she didn't say it._ Adora looked to the side, tried to meet Catra's gaze- but she was gone. Her legs moved of her own accord, leading her out of the room and down the halls of Bright Moon, isolated and quiet. The door to Glimmer's room was pushed open, and there she was, watching as Glimmer slept peacefully in her bed. And then, sword outstretched in front of her, she took a step forward, and then another, until she was standing over her girlfriend, raising her sword- 

 

_No! I don't want to hurt her-_ The sword came crashing down, but Glimmer was gone, her sword cutting through pillows and sheets. Whatever was controlling her body made her turn around, sword out again and inching slowly closer to where Glimmer stood by the door. She looked afraid, terrified, _confused,_ and Adora wanted to throw her sword out the window and cradle her in her arms. 

 

"Adora..?" Glimmer's voice was shaking, unsteady. She looked conflicted, brow furrowed and hands defensively on her staff. Her grip on the staff was weak, hands obviously shaking. And then Adora surged forward, a deep growl once again filling the room, and she couldn't stop herself from attacking. Her sword clashed with metal, Glimmer's staff raised in front of her to block the blow, arms shaking, struggling to push back the weight behind it. Her eyes met Adora's for a brief moment, searching for something, _anything_ that would let her know what was going on. Adora stared back, on the verge of tears, but unable to stop whatever was controlling her. And like that, Glimmer was gone again, the sudden disappearance wedging Adora's sword into the wooden door. She heard footsteps running down the hall, watching as she pulled her sword out with a grunt and opened the door. _No, stop it! Why can't I stop?_

She couldn't help the tears that streaked down her cheeks as she ran, easily catching up to Glimmer and nearly tackling her to the ground. She teleported out of reach, knowing she wouldn't have the strength to defend against her attacks, and Adora tried to force her body to listen, to put down the sword, but nothing worked. She wanted to scream, and found she couldn't even do that. 

 

"Adora! Snap out of it!" A shout, no doubt from Glimmer, caught her attention. She looked exhausted, likely running out of power and tired of running. _She didn't replenish her powers after the last mission_. Adora watched as Glimmer bent over her knees, breathing hard with the staff clutched tightly in her hands, knuckles white. "I don't...want to fight you!" _I don't want to either-_

Glimmer looked up, fear in her eyes as Adora walked closer to her, sword at the ready again. She couldn't run and hide all day even if she had the stamina to. She'd have to face her eventually. Glimmer backed up, cursing when she felt a wall behind her. Of _course_ she would back herself into a corner. Adora closed the distance between them, and once again, her sword met Glimmer's staff. Another deep, almost guttural growl, and a swift kick had Glimmer's sword flying across the hall. 

 

"Nowhere to run, nothing to defend with," That same rough voice filled the room, and it was Adora's, clearly, but _it wasn't her. None of this was her._ "You were too easy." And the sickening sound of blade meeting flesh was all she could hear, followed by a pained whimper.  


	3. Chapter 3

 

A cackle filled the hall, echoing in the empty space. It was familiar, and Adora wanted to find the source of that voice and punch her for making her like this. For making her hurt the girl closest to her, who trusted in her and loved her and listened to her whenever she struggled. And now Glimmer sat, slumped against the wall, breathing unsteady and a shaky arm curled around her stomach. There was blood, _too_ much blood, but Adora couldn't do anything to help her, locked in her own personal hell. 

 

"Well done, Adora. I just _knew_ you could do it." A sickening voice called from behind her, and Adora turned, a wicked smile on her face. Catra clicked her tongue, walking towards the two, and Adora couldn't do anything but stand by and watch as she crouched in front of Glimmer. "Not feeling good, Princess? That's okay; your dear _Adora_ can get rid of that pain for you. You wouldn't want to sit here suffering and in pain, would you?" Adora tried to fight back, briefly feeling her hand tighten around the sword. She forced her body to listen, to obey her commands.

 

" _No_!" Adora managed to shout, and for the first time since she woke up, she was in control again. "I won't let you hurt her any more!" Her hand squeezed tight around the sword and she pointed it at Catra, although shakily. Catra frowned, facing her fully now, and shook her head.

 

"Now now, that won't do. I can't have you up and ruining my plan again." She balled her hand out in a fist, something in her hand that Adora couldn't see, and suddenly that burning feeling returned in her cheeks and back until it was all she could feel. She dropped the sword, her hands shaking as her knees gave out, and the burning only got worse. She hadn't realized she'd been screaming until she felt her throat go hoarse, her nails clawing into the cuts on her cheeks. The burning continued, consumed her, and once again she was thrust out of control, no longer feeling anything. "Black garnet. Get you some." Catra laughed, and then she was gone again as quickly as she had appeared. 

 

"Adora...I know you can hear me." Glimmer's voice came out rough and shaky, just barely audible. "You need...to find my mom. She'll know what to do..." Adora felt horrible just leaving her behind, but she didn't exactly have a choice. She wasn't sure how the garnet was affecting her, but if she wanted to figure it out, she'd have to wait for the right time to fight back again. She met Glimmer's eyes, hoping she knew Adora understood, and found herself already turning and walking down the hall.

 

_I'm sorry...I'll come back for you when I can, or at least get help._ Adora forced her mind to focus, trying to figure out where she was headed and come up with a plan. She took note of the path she was headed down, taking a few minutes to realize where she was going; she'd only been there twice. The door leading to the outside tower was large and ornate, pushing it open with ease and stopping once she reached the tower. 

 

"I didn't expect to see you here this late at night, Adora." A calm voice called from the opposite side of the tower. Queen Angella stood, her arms raised toward the moonstone, feeding it energy like she did every few nights. "Or should I even call you that?"  

 

"It doesn't really matter what you call me." Adora's voice was harsh and deep, more of a growl than anything else. "Bright Moon won't be standing for much longer, anyway." Adora watched as Queen Angella lowered her arms, turning to face her fully this time. Her face showed no emotion, but looking into her eyes gave her away; she wasn't afraid. No, she was more...concerned, it seemed. She walked toward her, despite her sword up and at the ready. 

 

"I'm almost surprised that the Horde thought this little trick would work." The Queen hummed, closer now but not quite within fighting range. "I thought they would know that using any sort of runestone would be easily detected by those who maintain them. This is amateur, to say the least." Adora lunged forward, the tip of her blade just missing the Queen. She growled, backing up and preparing for another attack. The Queen simply stood still this time, allowing Adora to run at her and slash her sword across her chest. Queen Angella shook her head, watching Adora's confused expression when the wound she had just made began to stitch itself back together, until finally it looked as if nothing happened. Adora tried again, with the same results, and let out a frustrated shout. 

 

"Do you get it now?" Queen Angella stepped toward Adora, who had started backing up, eventually hitting the wall of the tower behind her. "You stand no chance against me." Queen Angella stood right in front of Adora, looking down at her. Their eyes met for a brief second and Angella frowned. She wrapped her arms around Adora, hugging her tight to her chest. Her wings spread, closing around her for another layer of security. 

 

"I have an idea. It's going to hurt, and it won't be easy, but you have to trust me on this, Adora." She whispered into her ear, the girl in question standing still in her hold. "It's the only way I know that might rid your body of the poison. You're going to have to fight it as well, but I think you already planned on doing that anyway." Adora mentally prepared herself, but she wasn't ready for the surge of energy that seemed to overpower every fiber of her being, and not in a good way. She grit her teeth, her eyes squeezing shut as her knees buckled below her. There was a loud ringing, and her head pounded without mercy. Something dripped down her cheeks, but it wasn't tears; no, it was a mixture of blood and the poison that Catra had used on her. Her back itched, the same mixture dribbling down from the scratches there, and Adora groaned. She could faintly hear Angella whispering something soothing to her, but couldn't make out the words. Whatever energy was pulsing from her hands continued, but the pain started to die down, a dull throb more than anything. Adora's breath was rough, and she was aware now that she had bit her lip during the ordeal, but she was just glad she could feel something again. Her nails dug into her palms, and she slowly uncurled her fists, lowering her arms to her sides. She could feel Angella holding her tight, carding her fingers through her hair gently, could feel the cold hard concrete below her. She was in control again. 

 

"Are you alright?" Angella asked, her voice calm and quiet. Adora nodded weakly, her body exhausted. Her eyes widened not too long after, and she looked up and around, trying to force herself to stand. Her legs were shaky and her balance was off, but the Queen held her still to gain her bearings. 

 

"Glimmer, she-" Adora was frantic now, looking back between the Queen and the doors leading to the hallways. "She needs help!" Angella didn't need to hear any more before she took off, Adora in tow. She couldn't move very fast, leaning on walls to keep her upright, but she knew Glimmer would be in good hands. She heard a curse, followed by another voice that was going a mile a minute. Moving closer, she realized it was Bow. He must have heard the commotion and ran out, no doubt more than a little panicked. When she rounded the corner to the hallway, she saw three things that she would never be able to forget. 

 

The first was Bow, his hands and face smeared with a dark red, flakes of blood in his hair. He was pressing a cloth into Glimmer's stomach, crumpled by her side. He was crying.

 

The second was the Queen, trying to think calmly about what to do, her facade coming undone with every passing second. She wasn't sure what to do. Take her up to the crystal? Try to bandage her up there? Hope there's a doctor awake and working at this time of night? Her eyebrows furrowed, frown deepening as she weighed her options. Finally, she decided to kneel over Glimmer, pressing her hands on top of the cloth and radiating a slow and steady stream of energy. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it might buy her some time. Her hands were shaking. 

 

And then there was Glimmer, unconscious and pale, breaths shallow and weak. She was unresponsive to Bow and the Queen, and she was covered in blood. Adora hated seeing her like this, hated the fact that she was the one that caused it, but she couldn't look away. Bow looked at Adora with an expression she hadn't seen before. She couldn't recognize it. She allowed her body to slide down the wall to the floor. She desperately wished this was all a bad dream, that this was some sick nightmare that she would wake up from and Glimmer would be okay, ready to comfort her and listen to her if needed. But it wasn't. 

 

She wasn't sure how long she had sat there, in shock, not paying attention to what was going on around her. Her head lowered to her knees, and she tried to steady her breathing, but found catching her breath hard and everything else to be too overwhelming. Her shoulders shook as she cried, losing all control over her emotions. She was vaguely aware of someone rubbing her back, whispering soothing words in an attempt to calm her down. The trembling in her shoulders gradually stopped, her breathing becoming more stable, and the panic that flooded her very being began to calm down. 

 

"We'll take care of Glimmer, but you need to rest." The voice was quiet, gentle in a motherly way, but Adora didn't deserve her kind gestures. The hand on her back kept rubbing small circles, and she could feel the exhaustion start to kick in. Darkness filled her vision, and she welcomed the brief escape it gave her as she lost consciousness. 


	4. Chapter 4

 

When she woke up again, it felt as if Adora had been sapped of all energy. She turned her head slightly to the side, eyes squinting shut at the lights, and saw the outline of someone beside her bed. Whoever it was couldn't stop fidgeting with their hands, messing with their fingernails and tapping their fingers on their leg. Adora groaned, trying to sit up and shift to a position where she could actually see who it was and what was going on, but a hand pushed her gently back onto the bed. Adora forced her eyes open, and the blurry form of Bow slowly came into focus beside her. 

 

"Thank god you're awake..." His voice sounded rough, almost gritty, and she didn't need to guess why. She smiled weakly at him, and he returned the gesture, but his eyes didn't meet the motion. He looked like shit, to say the least. "Queen Angella said you weren't injured, but I still wanted to make sure you're okay. How do you feel?" _Hold on a minute...what about Glimmer? What is he hiding?_ Adora pushed the thoughts out of her mind when she realized she hadn't answered Bow. 

 

"I'll be fine, I just..." Adora tried to sit up again, and this time Bow let her. She looked down at her palms for a moment before balling up the blankets in her fists. "I just need to rest a bit more, I think. But that can wait." Her eyes met Bow's for the first time since she woke up, and her unsaid question was understood. Bow held out his hand, and Adora took it, letting him lead her across the room to where another group of people stood. They passed tables with bloody bandages and scraps of clothes on them, and Adora swallowed hard, steeling herself for the anger and disappointing looks to come. But when she neared the doctors and the bed where Queen Angella sat beside, there were no harsh looks or distrusting comments. It was uncomfortably silent, save for ragged breathing and the doctors moving about the room. In a way, Adora thought that was worse. She wanted to be held responsible for what she'd done, deserved it even. But instead she was met with sad and sympathetic expressions, and quietly reassuring comments. She didn't deserve any of it. 

 

Tears stung her eyes before she even looked at the small figure laying vulnerable on the bed, and she swallowed around the knot that was tightening in her throat. 

 

Glimmer looked so small, so fragile. As if a single touch would shatter her very being. She hated it, hated what she'd done to her, hated herself. Bandages were wrapped tightly around her stomach, already taking on a red tinge, and her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. She looked pale, the color still not returned to her cheeks. Queen Angella had one of Glimmer's hands in hers, her thumb slowly rubbing over her knuckles. Her eyes were red and puffy, but nobody mentioned it. Adora squeezed Bow's hand tight in hers, and couldn't fight back the sob that wracked her frame when he squeezed her hand back. She was surprised to feel him tuck her against his chest, hugging her tight and rubbing circles into her back, and she wanted so desperately for him to treat her any other way than but with kindness. She didn't deserve it, any of it. She felt another set of hands circle around her and Bow, and was met with the Queen's watery smile. 

 

" _Why?_ " Adora choked out, her eyes searching the Queen's and finding only kindness and love. "This is all my fault...so _why_?" 

 

"Don't act like I didn't see your eyes pleading, Adora. It was there when I fought what controlled you, and it's here now too." Angella whispered, her voice just barely audible but clear and gentle. She hugged Adora's head close to her chest, despite knowing she was a mess of tears sure to ruin her clothes, and combed her fingers through Adora's hair. "I know you better than you think, and I know without a shred of a doubt that you love Glimmer with all your being. I know you wouldn't purposefully hurt her, and I know she wouldn't want you to feel responsible either."

 

"But-" Adora wanted to push herself away from the too gentle embrace, but found her arms unwilling to release the grasp on the Queen's gown. Angella hushed her, a soft but firm hum, and Adora quieted, allowing herself to melt into her arms. 

 

"I think of you as my daughter, Adora. And I'm sure Glimmer want you to feel like you belong here, like you're family, because _you are."_ Angella smiled, pulling Adora's face up to face her and meet eyes. "I love you, and I know she does too. This wasn't your fault. You don't deserve to be blamed, punished, to feel guilty. And there's nothing to forgive you of, either, but if it helps you to hear it, then I forgive you. Glimmer will be okay, and you will too, in time." Adora couldn't even respond, wanting to say a number of things, to express how she felt, but the words wouldn't come. Her eyes filled with tears again, and Angella wiped them away with her thumbs. Before she released Adora from her embrace, she lightly kissed the top of her head, then looked to Bow and nodded. Bow still held her close, rubbing her arms and back in what he hoped was a calming motion, and they sat in silence for the rest of the night. 

 

It wasn't until the next week that Adora finally started pulling it together. Glimmer had woken up and was responsive to check ups and visitors, though she was given orders for strict bed rest. She still had bandages around her stomach, but they weren't stained pink anymore, and her skin wasn't so pale anymore, her cheeks and lips regaining their color. Adora and Glimmer shared as much time together as they could in the recovery phase, some times talking casually and others enjoying their silent presence, cuddling and sharing brief moments of affection. Adora would be lying if she said she still didn't feel guilty, but it was getting easier to bear as she spent more time with Glimmer, pushing the negative thoughts out in turn for loving ones. She had told Bow to hide her sword early on, just to be sure, and though she probably wouldn't be using it soon, she didn't feel nearly as hesitant as she did before. During Glimmer's bed rest, Adora stayed by her side at all times, sleeping beside her and sitting with her while they thought of ways to relieve her boredom, and before she knew it, everything was okay again. 

 

Glimmer was okay, and so was she. 


End file.
